After being landlocked since December due to lock down it was a great relief to be able to head south to Cornwall and be going on a 7 hour boat trip from Falmouth.
After being landlocked since December due to lock down it was a great relief to be able to head south to Cornwall and be going on a 7 hour boat trip from Falmouth.
The morning was beautiful and sunny although a tad chilly. All wrapped up and ready to hit the sea we met at Falmouth marina and walked down to Free spirit to meet the crew Captain Keith, Georgia and Tash. Setting out the instant stress relief you feel from the ocean just can’t be beaten.
Our first amazing sighting was not a standard marine sighting it was actually a Short eared owl flying over the sea, definitely not something I had ever expected to see on the day. Not long after another boat that was also out shouted out to AK wildlife that they had been watching a basking shark so we headed over and found it. This beautiful creature was very relaxed with us being there as the WISE code of conduct was followed. The shark carried on feeding and came very close into the bow where we stood watching. We then moved on after 15 minutes past Gull rock where there were lots of Auks on the cliffs and a couple of seals bottling and one hauled on a rock having a rest.
We headed back out to sea and were shortly alerted by the same boat to a small pod of Risso’s dolphins they had come across. At this point my already happy heart at being on the ocean was booming with excitement at the possibility I would see my first ever Risso’s. When we got there we came across 4 animals that seemed to be adults and one definitely older as it was very white in colouration. The dorsals appeared as they were swimming and them the sound of them breathing, no matter how many times you see a whale or dolphin the sight and sound of them takes your breath away. Again keeping a good distance away and not imposing on them we sat and watched them. The animals headed off and were starting to gain speed so we left them to enjoy their day and we headed off too.
Very happy with the sighting of the Risso’s I was not expecting the next amazing sighting we had about an hour later, we were treated to a sighting of 30 plus Risso’s, adults and calves. One calf was only a week or 2 old as the foetal folds were still very visible. Amongst this pod there was a very distinctive adult who sadly had a collapsed dorsal and signs of recent trauma which brings back the reality of the damage humans are having on our oceans and the marine life in it. This particular Risso’s dolphin appeared to have a calf and be healthy so hopefully it will go on and live a happy healthy life.
This particular pod was inquisitive and with the engines stopped and us just bobbing on the sea they came in within 10 meters of us. Again the sound of them blowing the air out as they surfaced to breathe was amazing and brings a magical happiness to all who experience it. The pod set off once again and we left heading in a different direction off towards the Manacles and Lizard Point. We had a porpoise come past as our final cetacean sighting of the day before heading back to the marina very happy and feeling calm and stress free.
Christina Sea Watch Education & Outreach Assistant Feature Blogger
